MLPTFF - Third Choice
by pen.charmer.13
Summary: As the three-episode story arc draws to a close, a question which arose from the previous episode comes to light: What is Celestia up to? This fic will take on a darker tone with new characters and a new storyline which will provoke you to wonder who can you trust in the darkest hour.
1. Chapter 1 - Recall

**Chapter One: Recall**

**A/N:** And we're back at it again! It's been a while, and I've decided to just end the Triangle at that. Oh yeah, it isn't called the Triangle anymore – the new title is Second Chance. Forgive me for ending Second Chance too abruptly; I felt that the story needed to stop at some point, and that was that point.  
Anyway, right now I'm going to wrap up the story for you guys, to maybe give you a little recap of what's been going on so far. RRFFE!

* * *

Quite some time has passed since the events in the now-separated country known as Chronos, and even more so, the death of Filigree Flyer. Nevertheless, Ponyville is now a little more tranquil after those events had settled into the town's history. Nothing much of interest occurred shortly after, but all we know was that everything was normal. At least, for the most part.

Things have been happening again – not in Ponyville, but in Canterlot. These things were strange things, very strange things. Nopony could quite get a hold of what the rumors really are, though all of the accounts share a similar subject – screams echoing from the massive Canterlot Castle.

In within days, the rumor spread all throughout Canterlot, and two particular ponies, a stallion and a mare, took the chance to delve into the castle's halls and hopefully lay the ever-spreading rumors to rest. Both had different methods and intentions of reaching their destinations – both of which are almost entirely opposite.  
The stallion, called Charmer, was a pony that hailed from a mysterious, faraway land. Having moved to Equestria with his parents after a series of peculiar events, he grew up in Baltimare for the majority of his life. As he grew older, he received much renown – or rather, notoriety – in his town finding or noticing errors too vague to be seen by regular ponies. He asks questions _very_ often, and in doing so he immediately finds himself hunting for anything that may ultimately lead to its answer. Many of his friends have agreed that once Charmer is asked or asks a question, he never stops until he finds the answer to it.  
He happened to stop by Canterlot, looking to see its sights and move on to other places before finally heading home for Hearth's Warming Eve. However, as he stayed in an inn there for a couple of days, Charmer caught wind of the rumors from a few colleagues and friends, which then began his quest to answer yet another question.

The mare, however, started off with a more…peculiar story. This mare was born to become a savant in the arts of journalism and investigation, who rose to fame after somehow following down a trail all the way into a long-lost secret cache of gold and treasure from her family's bloodline, which for a hundred years nopony has ever been able to find.  
Her grandfather often told her that she was similar to a stallion who came five generations before her – her great-great-great-grandfather. However, her grandfather would note, she was different; her ways of getting answers were rather unorthodox and unusual – though of course, it was only a thought. Nevertheless, her methods were quite effective in the field. Oftentimes she would use what she learned from three years of martial arts classes (or maybe just one of her home-made smoke bombs) to get out of a pinch. Other times she would use her attractiveness to lure many a stallion into doing her bidding. In the end, no matter how unusual she gets her way with things, she would always get to her answer, and have her name up in the headlines as…'The Shade.'  
Hunting for yet another report to make the headlines, she hears of the rumors from Canterlot while still living in her family's villa far away in Vanhoover. Immediately she springs into action and is now on her way to yet again solve another enigma.

* * *

Arriving at the train station, Charmer immediately takes lodging at an inn and sets out his gear – a pen, notebooks, a flashlight, batteries, a pair of daggers, and a sword. He glances out the window and takes a look at the rising moon, which felt a little faster than normal. "It must be just me," he says to himself, trying to calm his nerves. He suits up and heads for the lobby, at least to get away from the eerie silence of his room.  
"Look, I'm sorry, miss, but there really isn't any other room," an inn clerk says with a sad tone.

"Well, you know what? Fine! You just lost yourself five customers!" a mare yells, turning to the exit. Seeing her predicament, he walks to the information desk, and asks the clerk about what happened.

"You see, all of the rooms are currently reserved. There are a lot of ponies looking to stay the night."

"Okay, thanks," Charmer says, running after the mare. He catches up with her, and walks beside her. "Inn troubles?" he asks.

"Who are you?" she asks. "You don't look like any of the inn staff. Are you here to sell your room to me or something?"

"Well, actually I was planning on lending my room to you. You looked kinda desperate, so I thought I'd do you a favor of sorts. I don't stay in long, because I'm usually on the field, so I think you could use it to your liking. Plus, there are two beds, so you could take the other one if you choose."

"You're a journalist, aren't you?" she asks.

"Well, yeah, if you put it that way. How did you figure that out?" Charmer laughs nervously.

"It's simple, really. With nearly all of Equestria hearing of the rumors, there's bound to be a brave few who would dare to enter the castle and hopefully silence the rumors. I happen to be one of those few."

Somehow relieved to see a fellow journalist, he gleefully introduces himself. "I guess we're on the same track then. My name's Charmer."

"My name's Sara, Sara the Shade." Suddenly those three last words began to echo in his head. Immediately the mare says to him, "Just don't tell anyone who I really am; I'll make you regret it."

"Sure, sure; my lips are sealed…well, not exactly, considering I'm still talking, but sure," he stammers.

Later, in the inn, Sara says to him while she unpacks, "Thanks a lot for letting me share your room. I hope I don't bother you or anything."

"No, I'm perfectly fine having you here. Plus, I wouldn't mind company," he replies. "You know, I was wondering if I would be a bother to _you_. I mean, I'm not really a journalist _per se_, but I just have this constant urge to answer the many thought-provoking questions in life.  
Just look at me, talking to the Shade herself. Who am I to even ramble about useless things to you?" he says, his mind finally able to shut his trap.

"Useless? Do you really, _truly_ think that whatever you 'rambled' about was _useless_? Well, think again, Charmer," she says. "Besides, I'm interested in this 'urge' of yours. I'd like for you to continue; if you would allow."

"Well, if you say so," he continued. "My story isn't much to talk about, but it all started when my mom asked me a weird question: 'What do you want to do with your life?' Though so many kids think this is perfectly normal, I thought otherwise. To me, it isn't really worth asking someone what they will do in the future if that future is still so far away. It was an answer that I couldn't answer, and it was a question that I felt needed answering.  
So what I did was simple – I searched for an answer. The many weekends I spent thinking, contemplating on how I might be able to answer a question that had only been asked by my mom once, and only once. After her…disappearance, I vowed to answer that question, and to finally one day meet her somewhere with my answer. Years later, I stand here before one of the renowned 'hotshot' journalists in the continent, telling a story that doesn't really get anywhere."

Sara stands there for a moment, jaw dropped slightly. Immediately she got a hold of herself and says, "I'm…sorry for your loss. I know what it's like to lose a family member."

"Look, you don't have to be sorry. Nopony's sure whether she's even dead."

"What do you mean? Are you implying that she's alive?" she asks curiously.

"I'm willing to say she is. I saw her leave the house that day, and on those grounds, I rest my case. Though it doesn't seem like much, it's reason enough for me to believe that she might be alive. But whatever happens, I just have to keep moving forward."

* * *

Later that night, as the two take a walk through the streets of Canterlot, taking in the ambience of the night known as Nightmare Night, Charmer finds Sara scribbling rapidly upon a piece of parchment, with a jar of ink floating nearby. She in fact was writing about the advent of Nightmare Night, and had hoped to submit it to the local paper; however, the troubles that she encountered from the trip to the city left her without enough time to finish it, therefore she took the time to finish writing it anyway as ghouls and ghosts walked past in the ominously cheerful streets of Canterlot.

Along the way, the two meet up with a particular candy-craving mare – the fastest candy eater in all of Equestria, Pinkie-Pie. "Well, if it isn't the oldest trick-or-treater in history," says the Shade out loud.

"You're never too old for candy!" argues the equine, still clad in a feathered suit.

"Forgive me for her…festive personality. She always gets into the spirit of things, year after year," cuts a unicorn dressed in a Charmer and a trench coat. "How are you liking the festivities so far? It took us weeks to figure out something new to show after what we did the past couple of years."

"It's great," Charmer replies. "We thought we'd head over to the castle to check out the ball or something…isn't that right, Sara?"

"A ball?" wonders Twilight. "I find it strange how you knew of it. Only the more high-priority ponies are allowed attendance this year – that is, until the rumors subside. How _did_ you know of it?"

"You see, we have sources, contacts, connections – things that help us know about things that normal ponies don't," Sara replies rather proudly.

"Ah, I see – you're journalists," she concludes. "Okay, I'll let you into the castle. Just don't let anyone know, okay?"

"Why thank you, Miss Sparkle," Charmer says, kissing her hoof. "I'll make sure to repay you in the near future." Seeing his sudden gesture, Sara nudges him, with a flame of envy in her eyes. As they walked on to the castle, its towering spires loom over them while the full moon hovers in the distance. Bats fly across the night sky as they realize that it isn't going to be like any other night…


	2. Chapter 2 - Remembrance

**Chapter Two: Remembrance**

**A/N:** Well, it seems the first chapter got off to a good start, which actually makes me kinda happy. This time around, I plan to bring back more of the previous episodes to keep this one as relevant as possible. Keep in mind that with the new characters, the story might seem off-track; but this episode was written to add something fresh while bringing everything back for the close. I hope you'll like this chapter better than the last one, so RRFFE!  
Also, given the strange names for the new OCs, I've updated the last one with some more MLP-themed names. It should probably be able to remind you that it's an MLP fanfic and not something else entirely.

* * *

The two adventurers look upward at the tall watchtowers that seem to be looking back down at them. Taking a deep breath, they slowly push the doors open…only to find it not budging. "It's locked," Charmer says calmly, his mind already formulating a plan. Suddenly he begins to walk round the side of the castle, checking for any guards – there were, in fact, _none_.

"That's strange," comments Sara. "Why aren't there any guards at this time of night?"

"That's a question that I think I don't need to answer," Charmer replies, picking up a gem. He examines it closely while Sara looks about for other clues. Eventually her eyes spot a metallic glint from within a bush. Peering in, she comes out with a sword in hoof, its blade gleaming in the moonlight.

"Is this your answer?" Sara asks, showing it to her 'partner.'

"No, it isn't," he answers. "But with this, it will." He places the gem in his hoof into a hole on the blade's hilt, and it fits perfectly. Examining it further, he then hands it over to Sara. "It's yours," he says, before turning around to leave. "History said so."

Sara stands confused, mouth open slightly as Charmer scales the wall with a ninja-like speed. The mare tries to follow him, and taking a deep breath, scales the wall after him. She grabs onto the ledge, but losing her grip, falls until a hoof grabs hold of hers. "You are an enigmatic man, Charmer," Sara says. "You would make a really interesting report for next week's paper."

"Thanks for the offer, but I think I'll pass," he replies, still holding her hand. Looking into the sky, he then says, "Well, I think it's time I get going. It was an honor working with you, and I hope that I'll be able to read a very special report this Friday, courtesy of the Shade." He then dons his hood and scales another wall, eventually entering a window. The mare, witnessing the events, then turns around and heads for the inn.

In the room, she stares out the window for several minutes, admiring the moon shining down upon Canterlot. Later, she closes the curtains, turns out the lights – save for a reading lamp – and begins dressing for bed. As she reads from her handwritten manuscript on the desk, her silhouette shows itself off out the window that she stood in front of. She didn't notice, however, and went on with her business. Upon finishing the manuscript, she lies down on her bed only to have her ears bear witness to a blood-curdling scream piercing the night sky. Immediately she rushes for the window, and sees nothing out of the ordinary. It was a scream so startling, that it felt capable of awakening the souls of the departed. The rumors were true, or at least from what she heard. It was a big opportunity – a chance to get to the papers and blaze her way through to stardom. And to her, this opportunity cannot simply be missed.

* * *

The next day, she wakes up with a silhouette blocking out the sun streaming out of the window. "Good morning," the silhouette says, walking over to her side. "I made breakfast for you."

"Aww, how sweet," she says. "You shouldn't have."

"Since I knew you wouldn't wake up until about now, I thought I'd make breakfast for two. I still have a lot of ground to cover after the scream last night, so I'd better go."

"Wait. Let me come with you," Sara urges. "I need it for this week's report."

"I think you don't need to write another one," he counters. "I read your report about me. I think that would be interesting enough. Besides, I don't want to put you in danger or anything."

"Danger?" she asks, washing her face. "Since when did danger get involved?"

"This is different, Sara. I know that there are some nasty things going on with the screams, and from a couple of foggy sources, I hear that there might be supernatural forces involved," Charmer replies.

"Supernatural, huh? You mean like ghosts, souls, and spirits?"

"Well, kinda, yeah. But this thing transcends time-space. I think I might have to hit the books for this one. Speaking of books, I have a friend of an acquaintance coming to Canterlot for a little meeting at noon. I was hoping you'd come."

"I'd be glad to. Let me guess, you're looking to talk with Twilight Sparkle, no?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. How did you figure that out?" he asks, surprised.

"I read your notebook," she replies, holding a leather-backed notebook up. "Sparkle is a reputable source, and everything she says should be worth believing. Then again, you can't really trust anything that comes out of anypony's mouth."

Nodding in agreement, he says, "Well, you'd better dress up. We've got a lot of investigating to do."

_Later..._

"Greetings, Miss Sparkle," Charmer greets, kissing her hand. "I take it your trip was well, yes?"

"Yes, I'm quite fine, Lucky; spare the formalities. And your companion here is…the Shade, are you not?" Twilight asks.

"I'm the Shade, yes, but you could call me Sara. I hear you came here for a meeting with Charmer, is that right?"

"Yes, that is correct," she replies. "My assistant, Spike, received a letter from Charmer, inquiring of the rumors that have been circulating in the area. I, myself, have not received word concerning this, however Charmer did ask about Filigree Flyer. I immediately prepared for a trip at once."

"Speaking of which, do you know anything about him?" Lucky asks.

"In a sense," Twilight sighs in reply, "I think I know too much about him.  
"No more than a year ago, he came into my life. He was a very smart unicorn that had much knowledge about the past. Filigree was a very mysterious pony, and no one knew much about him. My sister-in-law, Princess Cadenza, knows him about a decade ago, but she never talked much about him.  
"At first, I knew him as a magic prodigy, having mastered time magic while conducting clandestine research experiments in his very own dormitory. He graduated at the top of his class from the Academy of Gifted Unicorns, right here in Canterlot – in fact, he was the youngest unicorn to ever graduate from the academy. The several weeks I was in contact with him, I felt in awe simply talking to the one and only Filigree Flyer, one of the most enigmatic unicorns I ever knew. Not only that, he was also quite the charmer – Rainbow Dash and I recall finding him attractive at some point.  
"However, the fog began to clear when Discord knew of his presence. He was at his antics again, and it was at that point when everything showed itself – albeit rather slowly. Filigree was, in fact, an Alicorn – and he wasn't of the recent time period. Instead, he was a prince of a long-lost and unheard of civilization which was situated beyond the Frozen North – it was called Chronos, I believe. His kingdom was technologically advanced, and his parents and grandparents were innovators who manipulated both technology and magic to coexist – without even the slightest hint of conflict. I know, it might sound a little too far-fetched, but much of the technology that we see in cities like Vanhoover are, in fact, based upon designs built in the Chronosian era. How he arrived in the recent timespan, I believe I couldn't figure out, but Filigree told me that he had encased himself in a life-support chamber and entered cryogenic stasis – that is, he froze himself to sleep, preserving his entire body as a result. Nopony knows where the chamber is, because only Filigree was there when he woke up.  
"He was born five thousand years ago – about the same time in which the Celestial Twins fought off Discord. Their kingdom fell during the draconequus' rampage, and he was the only one of his family that survived. The Chronosian castle walls were resistant to magic; therefore, it is very difficult for one pony to lift it with magic. This feature – which would have been beneficial in the event of an attack by magic-wielding ponies – instead ended in the fall of Chronos. Somehow, I recall Filigree speaking of Princess Celestia coming to their aid, only to find that it was already too late.  
"About two months before he…went, Princess Luna and I accompanied him to the already-ruined Chronos, and saw still some of the city left standing. It was then when his memories returned to him, and Discord came with them. Over the course of those two months, he has been holding a heavy grudge against Discord, vowing to follow him to the ends of the earth to eliminate him once and for all. However, there came one point where Discord made him a deal – to do his bidding in return for his parents returning to him, alive. He made that deal, but after a couple months, he and Discord returned to conflict, which ended in him 'dying,' in a sense. In his final moments, he brought his parents with him, and ascended to a separate plane. I bore witness to all of that, and I fell into depression for a while after that. I know, it sounds a little off, but that was how it went. Still, with what we have right now, Filigree just might be the key to all of this." Taking a deep breath, Twilight then regains her bearings and asks shyly, "I didn't say too much…did I?"

The two 'detectives' sat on the opposite bed, amazed at her story. Both their jaws dropped, and coming to their senses, closed each other's jaws. "No! No…it's alright," reassures Sara.

"So Filigree _does_ have some relation to the rumors," Charmer comments aloud. Just then, Spike enters the room, his head bumping the door arch.

"At least I 'knocked,' more or less," he says. "Twilight, I just brought in your luggage in your room. Do you need me to get anything?"

"No need, Spike; you've already done everything for me." Tossing a small bag of coins, Twilight says, "Here, you should take the rest of the day off. I have some important matters to discuss here, so I wouldn't be going anywhere without telling you. Don't spend it all in one place."

Holding the bag in his hand, Spike then places it back beside Twilight. "I'd rather just stay here. I promise I wouldn't bother you or anything." With only a smile, Twilight then prompts her assistant to sit by her side while they continue the interview.

"Well, now that that's wrapped up, is there any other questions that need answering?" asks Twilight.

"Now that you think about it, I do have one more question," says Sara. "You said a while ago that Filigree graduated from the Academy of Gifted Unicorns, correct? Since you, too, graduated from the same academy, Filigree must have went through a similar if not the same curriculum, is that right?"

"I think that is so, yes," replies Twilight. "Are you implying that he might have had a dragon assistant himself?"

"Yes, that's exactly my point. If, somehow, we will be able to trace this dragon, we might actually be able to get a lead on the investigation," concludes Sara cheerfully.

"That _might_ be true," Spike asserts. "I, too, met him, and in all of the times I've seen him, I haven't seen any assistant of his anywhere. He usually travels alone."

"What other lead do we have then?"

"There might be someone we could talk to," suggests Charmer. "Cadence was in the academy with him. She might be someone we could talk to. However, as princess of the Crystal Empire, there's a slim chance we might be able to ask her anything at all. It's worth a try, though."

"Hmm, you might actually be right, Charmer," remarks Spike. "If what you say is true, we should at least give it a try."

"I have my doubts," Sara counters, "but it's worth a shot."

"I guess that being the only one left to have anything to say, I think that I have the last say on this. I'm worried that with this train of thought that we're taking, we might end up someplace we don't want to be. The risks are something worth considering, and I right now am considering them. But by just keeping vigilant, I think we would get far without getting swept up into conflict. So, I will raise my hoof in approval," Twilight concludes.

"Spike and I will make the arrangements for the trip, so you don't need to worry about anything save for the baggage. But in return," she says, "you two will be treating us to dinner tonight. How does that sound?" The two detectives nod in approval, and they began to set about their business.

* * *

Later that night, the four together sit at a table in a restaurant, wrapping up their final arrangements while they wait for their orders. "I did a little digging," Sara says, starting the conversation, "and I found out that Princess Mi Amore Cadenza will be overseeing the construction of a brand-new railway station for the new cross-country line. I think that that way, we might be able to get to her without having to pass by too many guards."

"You don't need to worry about that," Twilight reassures her. "Spike sent a remarkably well-written letter to the princess requesting an informal meeting as she oversees the construction. I just now received a reply as I came here. Speaking of which, I noticed you sounded quite cheerful when you talked about avoiding the guards. Is there a problem with them?"

"Well, I think the answer to it is evident from the get-go," explains Charmer. "Writers, journalists, reporters – all are in the same bunch. That bunch goes out of their way to try to get as much information as possible, because in turn, it will give the bunch more facts and therefore write better, more accurate reports for the paper. Sara and I are in that bunch, and we try to get any opportunity we can to avoid the guards and get our way with things.  
"To us, the news report matters to us the most. It imparts a feeling of achievement when you write a beautifully-made repot, accurate and straight to the point, and find it printed on the front page of the newspaper the next morning. But having such a report requires a lot of information, and having to get to that information requires interviews with important leads, and getting those interviews requires getting through the dreaded guards that surround them like a massive wall. We journalists are cast out by those guards, and some of us have to get our hooves dirty to get what we need – that feeling of achievement.  
"Each one of us freelancers have our ways – and have our reasons for them. Some of us freelance for the money – they like doing a job that has them going places, writing, and exploring while earning money at the same time. Some of us freelance for the fame – they often write reports to frequent their names on the paper for a chance to earn their place in a large publishing company, working full-time. Others still…just write for the sake for writing. I couldn't describe why they do so, but to them, it's the report that they care about most. The money may be there, the fame may be there, but they don't really care. I guess, if you don't me bragging a little, _I'm_ one of those guys."

"Since when were you one of those guys, Charmer?" questions Sara, obviously agitated. "I thought you were in this for the fame."

"If I may," counters Charmer with a light-hearted tone, "it seems _you're_ the one in it for the fame. I wasn't in this for the fame – it only makes my job harder. Money to me isn't a concern, either – I've got enough money to go around. So, in the end, where does that place me?" With his reply, Sara was silenced, and the group was hushed until the waiter came in only moments later.

While eating their meal, the two journalists exchanged looks in what seemed to be a battle of wits without the wits. Spike and Twilight couldn't help but simply observe them and began finalizing the arrangements over dinner. Two hours later, they were in their motel rooms, packing up most of their things for the trip ahead.


End file.
